Twin lead cutting tool



pr 24, 1956 H. L. WILLIAMS TWIN LEAD CUTTING ToorJ Filed May 24, 1954 'Unted St@tes Patent TWIN LEAD CUTTING TOOL Holly L. Williams, Warrenville, S. C. Application May 24, 1954, Serial No. 431,770

3 Claims. (Cl. 30-128) This inventionrrelatesto novel tool` for cutting twin leadin'wire of the type conventionally employed as television and F. M. radio antenna lead-in wire and which conventionally comprises two lengths of stranded wire enclosed in electrical insulation of polystyrene, rubber, plastic or the like, andwhich insulation'additionally includes Vanintegral connecting portion extending between e the-wires may be very readilyistripped.

A further object of the invention is to provide a-tool of the aforedescribed character having means to prevent the insulation removed thereby from lodging in the tool between the cutting edges by means of which the cut is accomplished.

Various other-objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating lpresently preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment Yof the tool;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof; e v

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, partly in side elevation, taken substantially along a' plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of-Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view through the jaws of the tool takenisubstantiallyalong a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure l, and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 s a cross sectional View through the jaws taken substantially along a plane 'as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 3.and showing the jaws positioned' for cutting out the twin lead insulation; Y

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a portion of a slightly modiedform of the tool; Figure 7 is a cross sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 7-7 of .Figure 6;'

Hto the jaw 11 and the handle 14 is connected to the jaw 12, said connections being preferably formed by integral shank4 portions 15 and 16, respectively, as seen in Figures l and 2.' The shank portion 16 connecting the jaw 12 to the handle 14 is preferably bifurcated as seen in Figure l.2, and recessed to accommodate therein and between the 2,742,696 Patented Apr. 24, 1956 ICC furcations thereof the narrower shank 15, whichl connects the jaw 11 to the handle 13. A suitable fastening 17 extends through and is turnably disposed in the shank portions 15 and 16 and pivotally connects thel jaws and handle. The shank portion V15 is provided with top and bottom shoulder surfaces 18 which face generally toward .theehandle and the shank portion 16` is providedwith top` andk bottom shoulders 19, which face generally toward the jaws. The adjacently disposed shoulders 18 and 19 are disposed in opposed spaced apart relationship and provide abutments or stops for limiting turning movement of the shank portions 15 and .16 relatively to one another to regulate the extent that the jaws 11 may swing awayfrom one another .toward open positions and, likewise, the extent of swinging movement of the handle portions 13 and 14 away from one another, l n

As best illustrated in'Figure 2, the jaws 11 and 12 are` relatively wide, and as seen in Figure l, saidjaws are relatively long and taper in thickness toward their distal ends'. As seen in `Figures 4and `5, the jaws 11 and 12 are of channel shape cross section throughout a substantial portion of the length thereof kto provide inwardly opening channels or recesses 20 and 21, respectively, therein. Said channels or recesses 20 and 21 open inwardly or toward one another. VThe jaws 11 and 12 as seen in cross section, include substantially parallel spaced side walls;'22 and 23', respectively, the. longitudinalv edges of `which are beveled on the outer sides of said walls to provider cutting edges 24 and 25, respectively. The cutting edges 24 are disposed in opposed'aligned relationship to the cutting edges 25, as seen in Figures 4 and S.l lThe jaws 11 and 12 also yinclude outer walls 26 and 27, respectively. The

jaws 11 and 12 have rounded distal end walls'ZS yand 29, respectively, which lare likewise externally beveled so .that the edges thereof form parts ofthe cuttingedges 24 and 25. 1`

The jaws 11 and 12' include corresponding spring ejectors and 31, respectively,gwhich .are contained'in the recesses 20 and21 thereof. Each ofsaidejector's comprises an elongated strip of spring metal having an outwardly oifset end 32 which is secured by a fastening 33 to the wall 26 or 27 and an opposite outwardly loiset bifurcated end 34 which bears slidably against the inner side of the wall 26 or 27 and is slidably connected to a headed fastening 35 which extends through said wall 26 or 27 and the shank of 4which extends-loosely through the slot thereof. The ejectors 30 and 31 have substantially parallel intermediate portions 36. which are `disposed in abutting engagement when the jaws are closed.

as seen in Figure 3, and which protrude slightly beyond and outwardly from the cutting vedges of the jaws, when Vthe jaws arein open positions.

posed in alignment andthe cutout portions thereof are arranged to form an elongated opening 37 when thezjaw's "areclosed, as seen in Figure 6. Said opening 37 is located adjacent the inner ends of the jaw recesses 2in1 and 21tr. The other side walls 22al and 23afof the jaws 11a and lzacorrespond to the side walls 22 and 23, as seen vin Figure -7. The tool of which the jaws 11a and 12a form a part otherwise corresponds to the tool'll, and a further description of the structure thereof is considered unnecessary. f-

Complementary side edge portions 38 of the handles 1'3`and 14, which are located adjacent the pivot 17, are beveled on outer sides thereof to form cutting .edges 39 which arel disposed in abutting engagement when the jaws 11 and 12 are closed, as seen in Figurel. Said .beveled portions forming the cutting" edges 39.are proaerial. Said lead-in, designated generally 41, includes a pair of stranded electrical conductor wires 42 which are individually incas-ed in sleeves 43 formed of electrical insulating material, and which sleeves are integrally joined by a web portion 44 which is disposed therebetween. The insulating member 43, 44 is usually formed of polystyrene, rubber, plastic or similar flexible electrical insulating material. The tool is utilized for cutting ont an end portion of the web 44 as an initial step in stripping the conductor wires 42 at an end of the lead 4l, so that the conductor wires can be electrically connected to contact posts or the like. For accomplishing this operation, the tool 10 is held in either hand and the jaws 11 and 12 are positioned on opposite sides of the web 44 and with the pivot 17 of the tool disposed beyond an end of the lead-in 41, as for example beyond the right'hand end thereof as seen in Figures 8 and 9. The handles 13 and 14 are displaced toward one another for closing the jaws 11 and 12 so that the cutting edges 24 and 25 will cut out the end of the web 44 between the sleeve portions 43, as illustrated in Figure 5, and to produce a cut 4o', as seen in Figure 9. The walls 2.2 and 23 are spaced apart a proper distance, as seen in Figure 5, so that the cut 45 will be made close to the sleeve portions 43. The rounded cutting edge portions 24 and 2S of the end walls 28 and 29 will complete an arcuate cut constituting the inner end of the cutout 45 as seen in Figure 9. The cutout web portion 44 will be gripped between the ejector portions 36 and will be prevented thereby from lodging in either the recess or 21 and so that when the jaws 11 and 12 are thereafter opened, the cutout web portion 44 will drop freely therefrom. The ejectors 30 and 31 are yieldable inwardly of the recesses 20 and 21 due to the resiliency thereof and due to the fact that their bifurcated ends 34 are slidable in said recesses, as previously described, so that said ejectors will not prevent a cornplete closing of the jaws and a complete severance of the web portion to be removed.

Thereafter, the right-hand ends of the conductor wires 42 as seen in Figure 9 may be stripped as far back as desired of the insulation 43 disposed along the web cutout 45. This can be accomplished by a means of one or both of the openings 46 in the two cutting edges 39. The openings are sized to lit around the conductor wires 42 without cutting the same and the edges 39 will sever the insulator sleeves 43 around said conductor wires 42 so that end portions of the insulator sleeves 43 may be stripped from the conductor wires 42 while the tool 10 is in a closed position as seen in Figure l and while the conductor wires 42 are disposed in the openings 40, by moving the tool 10 to the right as seen in Figure 9 relatively to the lead-in 41.

The cutting edges 24 and 25 of the side walls 22 and 23 may also be utilized in making a transverse cut through the lead-in 41 for cutting ofi4 the lead-in or for transversely severing it at any desired point. However, this will produce a slight waste equivalent to the spacing between the cutting edges of said side walls. To eliminate this, the modified construction of jaws 11a and 12a may be employed for executing a transverse severance of the lead-in 41. The opening 37 is of sufficient length to accommodate the width of the lead-in and with the lead-in disposed therein, it will only be cut by the edges 24 and 25 of one wall 22a and one wall 23a, as illustrated in ,Figure 7.

The jaws 11 and 12 or 11a and 12a may be made of any desired length. The length of the cut 45 may be less than is illustrated .in Figure 9 or may be made much greater if desired by advancing the jaws inwardly of the lead-in 4l and repeating the longitudinal cutting operation, previously described.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. A pliers type cutting tool of the character described comprising a pair of elongated swingably connected jaws mounted for swinging movement in a common plane, each of said jaws being of channel shape cross section and defining a recess opening through an inner side of. the jaw, said recesses having closed ends, each of the jaws having parallel side walls defining side wall portions of the recess thereof and provided with cutting edges located along the open inner side of the jaw and an outer end wall provided with an arcuate cutting edge forming a continuation of the cutting edges of the side walls, and said cutting edges of the side walls of the two jaws being disposed in abutting engagement when the jaws are closed for severing an object or material disposed therebetween, the cutting edges of the side walls ot the two jaws moving in common planes toward and away from open and closed positions ofthe jaws.

2. A tool as in claim l, and spring ejector members disposed in said jaw recesses loosely between the side walls thereof and protruding therefrom between the cutting edges of the jaws and adapted to engage the cutout part of an object or piece of material severed by said jaws to prevent the cutout part from lodging in either of said jaw recesses, said jaws having outer walls defining closed bottoms of the recesses, said ejector members being connected to and supported solely by the recess bottoms and being yieldably movable inwardly of the jaw recesses individual thereto as the jaws approach a closed position.

3. In a pliers type cutting tool including a pair of elongated cutting jaws pivotally connected for swinging movement toward and away from one another in a common plane, said jaws being of uniform transverse width and each having a recess opening outwardly of an inner side only of the jaw and toward the other jaw to provide cutting jaw faces defined by corresponding transversely spaced cutting edges extending longitudinally of said jaws and located adjacent opposite sides of the jaws said jaws including outer end cutting edges dening the outer ends of the jaw faces and having ends merging with outer ends of the longitudinal cutting edges and forming continuations thereof, said cutting edges of the two jaws cooperating for cutting out an elongated part of an object or piece of material by a single cutting stroke of the jaws, and ejector means loosely disposed yieldably in the recesses of the jaws and secured only to bed portions of said recesses for ejecting the cutout part therefrom when the jaws are returned to an open position, said ejector means having portions disposed outwardly of the planes of the cutting edges of the jaws individual thereto in an open position of the jaws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 964,600 Adams July 19, 1910 1,735,821 Wentzlof Nov. l2, 1929 1,978,124 Batchler Oct. 23, 1934 2,302,810 Steegmuller Nov. 24, 1942 2,431,970 Swartz Dec. 2, 1947 2,642,657 Arnt et al. June 23, 1953 2,668,464 Paules Feb. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 610,644 Germany Mar. 14, 1935 

